Despite several provisions in the Forest Rights Act (FRA) of 2006 to
uphold the rights of women forest dwellers, women of Odisha are
being deprived of their due rights. Their role in FRC, SDLC and DLC
has remained nominal in the state. Active involvement of women in
the decision making process is yet to be ensured in the state of
Odisha.

HNF Correspondent

Even after eight years of its official implementation, Forest Rights Act of 2006
still struggles with issues in Odisha. More particularly, involvement of women has not
yet been ensured in the state. Several experts and delegates
expressed their concern over the miserable state of women forest
dwellers in Odisha in a two days workshop on ‘Women and Forest Rights Act’, held in
Bhubaneswar.

While speaking on the objectives of the workshop in its inaugural session,
Sujata S. Das gave a presentation about various provisions of FRA and the role
women should take in its implementation. “Despite several provisions in the act,
role of women in FRC, SDLC and DLC has remained nominal. Active
involvement of women in the decision making process is yet to be
ensured,” she said.

While emphasizing upon
Community Forest Rights over the forest, Madhu Sarin, Member of Campaign
for Survival and Dignity (CSD) and President, Vasundhara, asserted that
“in many parts of the Country CFR process has not been initiated.” Sarin
said, while pointing out the lack of awareness about FRA, “women are
being victimized by the Forest Department that puts several restrictions
on collection of (Minor Forest Produces (MFPs) specifically in Protected
Areas and evicts people from their shifting cultivation land in the name
of plantation. They too face harassment by the Excise Department during
collection of Mahua.”

“Women members are not called in meetings,
during claims making, verification, mapping etc. and, even, women
members of SDLCs and DLCs are not made aware of their role and
responsibility,” alleged Anna Kujur, President of Athkosis Sangathan of
Sundargarh, an NGO affiliated to CSD.

Women leaders from other States, who
participated in the workshop, also shared their views on various FRA
implementation issues and the struggles for forest rights in their
respective States.

Raising the issue of ongoing illegal
diversion of forest land, in the interest of private companies, without
recognizing community rights under FRA and by violating all other forest
laws, Vasavi Kiro, Convenor of Jharkhanad Wanadhikar Abhiyan (JAWA) and
a member of the Core Committee on land and Woman (formed under National
Commission for Woman) said, “we have to take over the governance of the
forest from the Forest Department which has been illegally encroaching
upon our land and forest.”

Addressing the house, Roma, Deputy General
Secretary of All India Union of Forest Working People (AIUFWP) and
Mahila Banadhikar Action Committee (MBSC) termed FRA as a revolutionary
step and said, “This is the first time in the history that land rights
of Women have categorically been recognized under FRA.”

Besides, issues of non-conversion of
forest villages into revenue villages, non-recognition of Individual
forest rights (IFR) of ‘other traditional forest dwellers’ in case of
non-possession of records to prove rights, loopholes in field
verification process, negligence in mentioning the name of the Woman
(wife ) in the IFR titles, non-recognition of IFR of the displaced
families etc. were also raised by several experts.

Participants and experts condemned Odisha
government’s recent attempt for deregulation of Kendu leaves (KL)
business in selective districts like Nabrangpur and Malkangiri. It was
alleged that such a step exposed governments desire to have control over
KL business. They demanded that government must abolish all the taxes on
KL, bear all establishment cost (including salary paid to the government
employees) in KL business, and distribute the profit among the pluckers.
They also sought that the Gram Sabha be declared owner of KL and be
allowed to take over the Kendu Leave operation.

Joining the Workshop Odisha’s Forest and
Environment Secretary R. K. Sharma assured the gatherings that he would
take appropriate action to address the issues raised. In order to ensure
community rights, “the present working plan (WP) of Forest Department
should be replaced by the community management plans,” Sharma said.

For effective implementation of FRA to
protect the rights of women, the workshop suggested that special forest
resource centre/cell for women be created at State level to deal with
issues relating to women and FRA; rights of women over forest and Land
be included in the State Women Policy; special awareness drives and
capacity building programs be initiated for women members in FRC, SDLC
and DLC; setting separate monitoring and reporting mechanism to ensure
compliance of provisions in FRA for women in particular.